Today most of the robot assisted procedures are conducted by the surgeon operating with a limited vision of the operating field, through microscopes and manipulating the instruments by what is visible in the narrow field of view through the optical cable inserted into the body with the surgical instrumentation. The surgeon has no real wide view of the operating area. There has been scanning and imaging technology such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), X-ray, ultra-sound (ultrasonic imaging) etc. which are in wide spread use in diagnostic fields. 3-D imaging technology is also available today, to a limited extend using the images generated which are being used for diagnostic and training purposes. This has improved the capabilities existing for practice of nano-surgery and micro-surgery or procedure (key-hole procedures) and made them more prevalent. But as of now there are no capabilities for viewing the surgery or procedure in a 3-D image projection where the individual doing the procedure can visually see what is being done in real time in a simulated environment. Such a capability if available will be very useful to improve the efficiency of procedures and reduce the problems substantially for key-hole procedures. The MRI scanning and CT scanning are all techniques used today for diagnostic purposes. These are both high resolution scanning methods. These high resolution scanning and processing of the scanned data to generate usable information and images are slow and not real time. The images need to be reconstructed by mathematical computation which makes it a good and reliable diagnostic tool but not easily usable in real time procedures or consultations during the procedures. They are also not usable in procedures to see the location of the instruments inside the body as the procedures happen. This makes them not suitable, by themselves, for the applications which are covered by the current invention.
Low intensity X-ray and Ultra-Sonic scanning to generate images are the other two modes of imaging in use in the medical field that provide fast images but with somewhat lower resolution. All these techniques are in use today as stand-alone applications. It will be of use if a system and method can be found that provide real time visual imaging capability with spatial coordination, such that 3-D images can be generated and updated in real time for conducting procedures with full visibility to the field of the procedure and instrument placement as the procedure is conducted. Such a spatially coordinated 3-D image will also enhance the capability to provide automated robotic implementation of procedures.
What is needed and is proposed hence is the use of ultra-sonic and low level X-ray imaging techniques, that are fast imaging techniques providing real time imaging capability, enabled for use in conjunction with high resolution scanning techniques that provide clear high resolution imaging capabilities, such as MRI or CT, to enable generation of spatially aligned real time continuously updating 3-D image of the patient, thereby providing enhanced real-time visual capability for critical procedures. This is a new field which the inventors believe is an emerging field.